


Christmas Present

by mrs_leary (julie)



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 02:11:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julie/pseuds/mrs_leary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colin is spending yet another Christmas Eve at home with his family, when he receives a rather unexpected visitor...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Present

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BabyDracky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyDracky/gifts).



> Written for the **Merlin RPF Fest II 2013** which features a seasonal theme, though the story is actually set (for artistic reasons!) during Christmas 2014.
> 
> Dedicated to my darling **babydracky** , who inadvertently provided the prompt. ♥
> 
> **Disclaimer:** This flight of fancy has nothing at all to do with the actual Colin Morgan, Bradley James or Richard Wilson. The story is purely imaginary, and is not intended to cause offence.

♦

It was a bitingly cold Christmas Eve – or, more accurately, it was the bitter wee hours of Christmas Day. Having attended Midnight Mass with his family, Colin had headed straight for bed, and was now in his flannel pyjamas, burrowed deep under several layers of blankets as well as his winter–weight duvet, and curled up around the hot–water bottle his mum had brought him. It didn’t take _very_ long for him to warm up enough to drift into a sort of doze… To be honest, it was more his restless mind that was preventing him from properly falling asleep, rather than the physical discomfort. For some reason that night he was fretting over memories of the past seven years – the five years of _Merlin_ and the two years since, the work and the friends, the successes and the fun. So much had happened. He’d met all these wonderful new people, and so many of his professional dreams had come true. He was so grateful for his family and for his home, as well; he knew they would always be here for him, and of course that was exactly how he wanted it. And yet… Colin couldn’t help but worry over how so very little in his life had really _changed_. After all, here he was, in the very same bed he’d slept in every Christmas Eve of his entire _life_ – except, of course, for that one year when the Morgan family had decamped en masse to Spain.

Colin sighed…

And the slight sound became a _whoosh_ , and there was a soft footfall, and then a familiar voice quietly crying, “Oh!”

Colin shifted slightly so that he could peer beyond his cocoon of blankets – and he saw exactly what he expected to see, which was of course completely impossible. “Richard…?”

His dear old friend was standing there on the rug, dressed in pyjamas, a warm tartan dressing gown and slippers, looking back at him in surprise. “Colin!”

They stared at each other for a long long moment. 

And then Colin tentatively asked, “Is that you?”

“Yes, I –”

“What are you –”

“Well –”

Colin blurted, “You’re not dead, are you, Richard, and come to say goodbye?”

“No! No, heavens, of course not…” Though Richard glanced about him and patted his dressing gown pockets – taking stock as it were – before saying again a little more firmly, “No.” Then he looked at Colin. “Not that I wouldn’t want to say farewell to you, my dear, of course.”

“So, erm…” Colin pushed just the tiniest bit further out from under the blankets, wanting a better perspective. It didn’t help. “What are you doing here, then? I thought you were in Greenock. Didn’t you take your new fellow up to Moira’s for Christmas?”

“I did, yes – I am. I mean, we _are_ in Greenock.” Richard thought for a moment, and then let out a breath. “Sebastian and I were… Well. And afterwards we fancied some eggnog, so I’d gone down to fetch some, and I was warming it up in the microwave, watching it go round and round… and I was thinking about how happy I was… and that, in all the world, I only had one thing left to wish for –”

“What’s that?” Colin asked, kind of hushed.

Richard’s keen blue gaze met his. “That you, Colin, could find as much happiness in your life as I have found in mine. But rather sooner, if you can.”

“Ah.” Colin sank back down again within the blankets. Which made him think. He poked his head out again. “Aren’t you cold, Richard? It’s fuckin’ freezin’ here tonight!”

“Oh no, I’m perfectly fine. Such an extravagance for an old Scot, but Moira leaves the central heating on overnight during the holidays…”

“But you’re not _there_ , you’re _here_.”

“Or I’m in both, or maybe in neither.” Richard frowned. “Well, I have no idea how or why this is happening, but if we’re going to see about making my wish come true, then maybe we should do this the traditional way.”

“Mmm…?”

“Which would you like to visit: your Christmas Past, your Christmas Present, or your Christmas Yet To Come?”

“Oh.” Colin thought about that. And then he wondered why he was actually seriously thinking about it at all. “Am I dreaming? This is a dream, right?”

“I suppose that one of us could be dreaming, or perhaps both of us –”

“Or neither,” Colin supplied flatly.

“But we might as well play along…”

“Right. Well. I don’t actually see the point in visiting my Christmas Past, cos I was just thinking about how they’re all the same as this one. Which isn’t a bad thing, except…”

“You’re ready for something new.”

“Exactly.” Colin thought some more. “And I dunno about visiting my Christmas Future, cos that’s just gonna mess with my head. Nothing good ever comes of things like that.”

“Fair point,” said Richard.

“So that leaves my Christmas Present. But, you know…” Colin shrugged, though Richard might not have seen that, shrouded in blankets as he was. “Here we are! So that’s no big deal, really, is it?”

“Oh, I think we can manage something a little more pertinent than this,” Richard murmured thoughtfully. He stuck his hands in his pockets and nodded. “Yes, I think we can try something a little more adventurous… Would you like your dressing gown?” he asked Colin. “I would advise it.”

“What –”

And his indrawn breath was lost in a _whoosh_ , louder than before, and the window must have blown open because then the wind was tugging at him – though it wasn’t a cold wind, it was quite warm and giddy, and strong, too – so that Colin only had time to reach a long arm for the robe he’d slung over the back of a chair before he was swept out of bed and out of his room, and he and Richard tumbled up through the eye of a swirling dark storm…

♦

They landed with soft footfalls in the middle of Bradley’s mum’s lounge room, where it seemed to be Christmas morning already, as it was daylight outside and the whole family were gathered around happily sharing presents from under a magnificent tree. No one batted an eyelid at Colin and Richard suddenly appearing in their midst dressed in little more than their nightwear. Colin tried a tentative “Hello?” and waved at Bradley’s mum, who happened to be looking vaguely in his direction – but there was no reaction. Everyone continued on as before. “How come I could see you,” Colin asked Richard, “but they can’t see us?”

Richard gave one of his elegant shrugs. “That’s just how it works, I suppose. It’s quite classic! You’ve read _A Christmas Carol_ , I presume…?”

“Yeah, but not since I was a kid. I always liked _Scrooged_ , though, with Bill Murray – and we were only watching the Patrick Stewart one on the telly earlier today – well, yesterday. Christmas Eve. Whatever.” Colin narrowed his eyes. “I _am_ dreaming, aren’t I? This has been brought on by an over–indulgence in Patrick Stewart and plum pudding.”

Richard laughed gently. “Well, be that as it may, why don’t you make use of the fact that you’re here?”

Colin opened his mouth to retort.

“Here, in a manner of speaking, more or less, maybe.”

“Right.” Colin gestured around. “I’m meant to learn something, yeah? But what’s there to see? It’s business as usual, they’re putting on a good Christmas, just like my family does, and the place is full of people – every one of which I know,” Colin added, having done a slow spin to take in each and every family member. “They’re all having a great time. Look at the kids! That’s what Christmas is all about, isn’t it? The smiles on those faces… The way they light up brighter than the tree itself.”

“Yes…” said Richard, obviously thinking that Colin was missing something.

Colin sighed. “And there’s Bradley in the midst of his family, which is where I should be, too – in the midst of my family, I mean, of course – so what’s the big deal? He’s sitting there, maybe he’s a bit quieter than usual, but Christmas is all about the kids, isn’t it? The little ones, I mean, not us big kids…” One of the smaller nieces or cousins had been showing something off to Bradley, but then she scooted away – directly through Colin’s insubstantial legs, as it happened, which was disconcerting to say the least – and when Colin looked up again, he saw that Bradley’s smile though perfectly genuine at the time had already disappeared – and – and – “God!” Colin cried out in horror. “Don’t any of them see how _lonely_ he is?”

He drew a little closer, free to really _examine_ his friend as he couldn’t have if Bradley had known he was there. Those beautiful blue eyes, usually as warm and vibrant as a summer day, were instead bleak with a quiet pain.

“Oh, _Bradley_ …” Colin whispered –

And for a heart–stopping moment, Colin thought Bradley had heard him – but no, Bradley was looking right through Colin at his mum, who was asking, “Are you tired, love? You look a bit tired.”

“Yeah,” Bradley replied with a soft wry smile. “I was up late last night, lying awake waiting for Santa Claus.”

The younger children who heard this all gasped. “And – and – did you see him?” one of them dared to ask. “Did he come down the chimney?” – “This house doesn’t even _have_ a chimney,” one of the other kids loftily informed them all. – “Did you see how he got inside, then? Uncle Bradley, did you _see_?” – “How do you even know he _got_ inside…?” one of the older children demanded. – “Cos he ate all the gingerbread and left all the presents!”

Bradley finally saw his opportunity to get a word in edgewise, and replied, “No, I didn’t see him – he must have waited until I finally fell asleep. He’s very cunning like that, you know!”

“What did I tell you?” One of the parents took the opportunity to admonish a child. “It’s _never_ worth waiting up. Even your uncle Bradley says so.”

But with the focus off Bradley again, his smile faded and his gaze wandered, and he looked wistfully up to where Colin guessed his bedroom must be… And Bradley sighed…

And there was a _whoosh_ – and suddenly it was late on Christmas Eve again, or more accurately it was the early hours of Christmas morning – and it was dark and cold, and Bradley was lying tucked up in his familiar old single bed, just as Colin had been. Except that Bradley wasn’t curled around a hot–water bottle, he was curled around a different form of comfort altogether, and his face was naught but sorrow and yearning, and as he tugged at himself slow and relentless he murmured, “God… God… _Col_ …”

Colin gasped –

Bradley’s eyes snapped open –

But they barely even managed to exchange a glance before Colin was swept up out of the room, and he and Richard tumbled away again into the storm.

♦

Colin lay in his bed feeling rather wrecked, wrapped up in too many blankets, and panting for breath as if the wind had sucked it all out of him. What the _fuck_ kind of _weird_ dream was _that_ …?

“Are you all right, my dear?”

Except that it wasn’t a dream, or if it was the dream wasn’t over yet, because Richard was still there… Colin poked his head out of the blankets again, and looked at his friend. “Yes,” he cautiously answered. “I’m all right. Are you?”

“Oh yes.” Richard gently cleared his throat. “I suspect… that if you called Bradley right now, or texted him at least, you’ll find he’s still awake.”

“Yeah,” said Colin. “Yeah, I might just do that.” Though he was thinking _what madness_ , cos it was _well_ after midnight, and there were limits even when it came to Colin and Bradley.

“I’d wish you luck, but somehow I don’t think you’ll need it.” Richard was beaming contentedly, apparently very satisfied with himself. There was a faint _ding_ , sounding as if it came from a very long way away – Richard cocked his head as if listening. “Ah, the eggnog must be ready. Let me know how it all goes, my dear friend. Not that I don’t have complete faith in the outcome.”

“Sure. Goodnight, Richard!”

“Goodnight, my darling.” And Richard turned away, and even as he did so he faded out of sight, and Colin was left alone.

“Well,” said Colin to his empty bedroom.

The odd thing being that he was wide awake now, and actually it didn’t feel like it had been a dream at all. So even though it was _well_ after midnight, Colin reached a long arm for his phone which was on the bedside cabinet, and he hit Bradley’s number which had been on speed dial for almost seven years now – and the call was picked up barely a moment later.

“Bradley –”

“Col? Colin, oh thank god, Col, I thought you must be dead or something. The weirdest thing just happened…”

“Tell me about it,” said Colin with a grin.

“No, you’ll think I’ve gone completely round the twist. Anyway,” Bradley continued, “what on earth are you doing calling me at this time of night? Got an early start on the Christmas sherry, did we?”

“Nah… I just wanted to make sure you have a happy Christmas, is all. You know. If there’s a chance I might have… anything to do with… anything at all.”

A silence stretched, in which possibilities were considered, and though they weren’t voiced neither were they deflected or denied. 

Eventually Bradley gusted out a breath and said, “Actually. There’s a very good chance you have pretty much everything to do with… everything, Colin Morgan.”

“That’s good,” he said. “Me, too,” he added, quite nonsensically – though they both knew exactly what he meant.

“And I will, now. Have a happy Christmas, that is. Maybe even the happiest one so far.”

“That’s grand,” said Colin. “ _God bless us, every one!_ ”

And Bradley – Colin could hear him and could also imagine him clear as day – just threw back his head and _laughed_.

♦


End file.
